Jharkhand: Hemant Soren caves in to BJP ‘trolling’, allows Chhath Puja in waterbodies

RANCHI: Conceding to mounting political pressure, popular sentiment and social media harpooning, chief minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday evening nullified the state department of home, jail and disaster management’s November 15 order prohibiting Chhath Puja rituals in rivers, ponds, lakes, dams, reservoirs and other public waterbodies across the state.
“After taking the popular sentiment into consideration, we have decided that devotees can take part in the Puja rituals in rivers and lakes by maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks,” Soren told reporters at Project Building on Tuesday evening.A notification in this regard issued later at night.

Before making the announcement, Soren accused the BJP of trolling his government on social media. “The guidelines issued on Chhath were on the lines of the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself such as maintaining ‘Do Gaz Ki Duri’ and not relenting unless a cure for the new virus is found. But in Jharkhand, BJP is demanding the exact opposite of what the PM is saying,” Soren said.
The opposition BJP saw the government’s softening stance as their victory. While his government caved in to the pressure from social outfits, BJP and JMM, the government had imposed several restrictions on public participation during Eid, Sarhul, Ramnavami processions, Durga Puja and Diwali fearing a mass outbreak.

Soren said, “The rivers, ponds, dams and lakes of Jharkhand are used to supply water to households. I have seen that many revellers offer their Pujas at home by creating makeshift tanks. I urge people to do the same,”
While Soren government ignored the advice of the medical fraternity, BJP marked the reversal of the order as a victory of popular sentiments and relentless protests staged by various outfits. “The Hemant Soren government was imposing policies that were anti-people. We played the role of a strong opposition for the people against the black law and will continue to do so in future,” state BJP president Deepak Prakash said in a statement.
Soren government caved in to the mounting pressure even as Jharkhand stood at the brink of a possible spurt. “Among all the police and security personnel who returned from their polling duties in Bihar, 50% of them have been infected of Covid-19. Thousands of our brothers and sisters have gone to Bihar to celebrate Chhath. We do not know in which condition they will return,” Soren said.
Earlier in the day, senior government officials backed the guidelines stating that it was framed as the three mandates of the Union government, social distancing, wearing face masks and hand hygiene, cannot be followed in a congregation such as Chhath. “Social distancing can be ensured in places of worship by extending the hours and segregating the crowd. Any infected person, who is entering the water body, can contaminate others,” a senior bureaucrat said on anonymity.
Meanwhile, Bihar-bound buses and train from Ranchi were packed with travelers on Tuesday.